Mix all ingredients together. I use whole milk ricotta, if you use part skim, drain first. Spray pan with non-stick spray. Spoon a dollop of mixture in pan and pat flat. Cook on low till golden, flip, pat flat, cook till done. Serve each pancake with a drizzle of warm Sugar Free Orange Marmalade or delicious just plain. Makes 8 pancakes.

These can be frozen between slices of wax paper or kept in the fridge a day or 2 and reheated (nuke 25 seconds) for breakfast during the week. Surprising good cold too. Leftovers usually get some SF jam or almond butter smeared on them, wrapped in foil and they become a great breakfast-on-the-go.More Eggface Pancakes7 Protein Packed Breakfast On-The-Go Recipes

I ran a few errands. Mailed the latest Eggface winner's prize, stopped at Target and pit stop at Starbuck's (see snack.) I took a little walk. A storm was coming in and I was trying to beat the rain. I almost made it.

Lunch:Shelly's Chicken Avocado Tomato and Cheese Melt: I had some leftover grilled chicken breasts from dinner the night before I just topped them with some sliced avocado, sliced tomato and a piece of cheese and put it under the broiler to get all melty and gooey. Easy and yummy. Would be great on top of a salad but I ate it as is.

More Eggface Weight Loss Surgery Lunch IdeasDinner: I picked up some ground beef. I was planning taco salad but it was raining and a little chilly last night and salad didn't sound good to me anymore. Instead I made these and I am so glad I did. They will be in rotation here for awhile. Soooo good.

Divide mixture equally in 6 ramekins till 3/4 full. Yes, you can make it in a Pyrex casserole dish too but I like the individual servings. Save any leftover meat in fridge for the delicious beginnings of breakfast the next day (in a frittata or mixed in scrambled eggs.)

In a mini food processor, blend topping ingredients till combined. Top each ramekin with the ricotta mixture. Sprinkle with a little more Parmesan. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes, I like a little brown top so I put it under the broiler for a minute or 2 (watch them.)

Monday, January 26, 2015

The random generator has selected:Judyjprice63@xxxxxxx.comCongratulations Judy! You are the winner of the latest Eggface Giveaway! You win the Care Package filled with Celebrate Vitamins and some of my favorite comforting items to have when I'm feeling under the weather. You have mail!

Want to learn more about any of the contents of the giveaway above. Click here for more info and sources.

Not a winner this time... no worries another Eggface Giveaway is starting very soon! Februaryis always a BIG month on the blog. Follow along on the Blog, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and now Instagram for the latest eggciting announcements!

Saturday, January 24, 2015

Check out my Ideas for the BIG GAME Pinterest Page for tons of recipes to enjoy as a part of a weight loss or post weight loss surgery diet and ideas for cheering on your favorite sports teams in a healthy way!

I am proudly serving as the Convention Committee Chair this year and was able to tour the hotel the weekend before last. We held our annual Strategic Planning Meeting for the Obesity Action Coalition at the hotel. Most of the convention committee was in attendance so the committee could get a look at the space and how best to utilize it as we plan for our programs that weekend. I had checked out the location online and review after review mentioned, "you MUST TRY the soup," "Get the soup!" "The Tortilla Soup is fabulous." In the interest of research I had to have umm a few bowls over the weekend. Oh and they were right. Yum. Soooo good.

We are staying in San Antonio in the summer and while it will be toasty outside (hotels are always chilly inside, I needed a sweatshirt in the hotel in Phoenix in August) I believe the soup is on the menu all year. If you can't wait to try it, I found the recipe online, made some slight modifications for the home kitchen and it is spot on. It is a protein packed, super simple (less than 30 minutes from start to slurp) dinner for a chilly night. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. I also hope we'll get hang out this summer together over a bowl of soup or the hotel does have an on-site Starbuck's so maybe an Iced Coffee.

Shelly's version of the San Antonio Marriott Rivercenter World Famous Tortilla Soup

In a soup pot (I got to christen my Christmas present Le Creuset pot) saute onions till golden. Add tomatoes, stock, picante sauce (heat level to your taste, I used mild), salt, pepper, cumin, and most of the cilantro. Dice cooked chicken and add to broth. This is great to make the day after a baked chicken dinner, just toss an extra breast in the oven for this, with leftover Rotisserie chicken or if your supermarket deli department sells baked chicken breasts. Simmer 15-20 minutes. Add remaining cilantro a few minutes before serving.

Top each bowl of soup with sliced avocado and shredded cheese. I know you are wondering where are the tortillas in this Tortilla Soup?! I don't do chips, you won't miss them I promise. The hotel gives you them on the side to add (or not add) as you like. Makes 2 very generous sized bowls.

Monday, January 19, 2015

Snacks are a huge part of watching the Big Game. The typical football party snacks are a lot of deep fried fat and carbs. Here's a few healthier snacks to have while you cheer on your team (or the team you dislike the least) and still help you keep those month-old, healthy eating resolutions intact.

Finely chopped 1/2 of a green onion. Mix diced onion with bacon and crushed almonds on a large plate. Place the goat cheese log in the center of the plate. Roll the cheese around until it is coated with the nutty mixture.

Gently form cheese into a football shape. Slice the remaining green onion to add "football lace" detail.

Serve immediately with sliced cucumbers, celery, apple slices, carrots, or my Mum loves Blue Diamond Nut Thins or wrap and refrigerate the cheese ball until you are ready to serve it, up to several hours ahead.

Shelly's Roasted Cauliflower with Buffalo Yogurt Dip

1 head of Cauliflower, washed, drained and broken in florets
a Tablespoon of Olive Oil (or Olive Oil Non Stick Spray)
a sprinkle of Kosher Salt

Preheat oven to 425. Arrange florets on a baking sheet. Toss cauliflower florets in olive oil or spray with Pam, sprinkle with salt and bake for 20 minutes turning once during cooking. Serve hot with Buffalo Yogurt Dip.

Measure the inside of the tray. Cut the turf to size and place inside tray. You'll need good fabric cutting, heavy duty scissors. You could add white duct tape goal lines and numbers but I chose not to so I could reuse the tray for other uses (Easter, Summer BBQ's, etc.)

Alternate black tape and white tape stripes on the side of the can. The width of the stripes will depend on the size of the can but it's no biggie if it's slightly off (refs are usually slightly off) Shhh, just make that the back ;)

You could use your snack bucket for napkins, utensils, or I filled my snack bucket with Blue Diamond Almond 1.5 oz. packages in Smokehouse and Wasabi & Soy Sauce flavors. I have one of these almond packets in my carry-on every trip I take.

This post is in partnership with Blue Diamond Almonds. For the purposes of this post and recipe development Blue Diamond Almonds provided me with products used. Thanks for the yummy nuts. Want to learn more about Blue Diamond Almonds great products and for more Game Changing Snacks LIKE their Facebook page, Twitter and Instagram and please tell them The World According to Eggface told you to stop by. Hope you give one of these healthy Game Day recipes and DIY decoration projects a try.

Sunday, January 18, 2015

When I have a cold or flu it's really one of the only times I crave comfort carbs: something from my childhood (it's more about the comfort than the carbs) a bowl of egg pastina with freshly grated Parmesan and butter. Pasta is not a part of my post weight loss surgery life (my personal choice) and my sick day replacement of steamed zucchini (same toppings) with all of zucchini's nutrients: vitamin C, vitamin B6 and vitamin K is a healthier and equally comforting choice.

It started me thinking about comforting, healthy and useful items you could put together in a care package for a friend or family member or save for the next time the creeping crud comes creeping. Here's a few items I came up with and I made an extra set so...

It's Giveaway Time!

The Prize: Hopefully the great Celebrate Vitamins in included in this care package will keep you feeling 100% but if the creeping crud gets hold of you here's a few items to make it a little bit better...

How to Enter: 1.) LIKEThe World According to EggfaceANDCelebrate VitaminsFacebook Page 2.) COME BACK HERE and LEAVE A COMMENT ON THIS BLOG POST (Be sure to include your name and some email address where I can contact you if you are the winner) Scroll down to # of comments below to enter. That's it, easy peasy.

Contest Period Ends: Sunday, January 25th, midnight (Pacific), sometime Monday, January 26th I'll draw a name using a random number generator and announce the winner here on the blog! I will also email the winner at the address provided. You'll have one week (7 days) to respond to my email or another winner will be chosen. Remember winners MUST be a Facebook follower (aka have LIKED) of the The World According to Eggface AND Celebrate Vitamins. One comment entry per person. Blog comments are moderated so there may be a slight delay (up to a few hours, especially at night if I'm sleeping Zzzz) in seeing your comment/entry post. Giveaway is open to anyone in the contiguous United States, 48 contiguous only (sorry it's a legal - international laws govern giveaways and money $ thing)

Friday, January 16, 2015

1. Spotted these the other day on the shelf and I thought they would be great for those in the liquid phase pre-op or post weight loss surgery. Pacific Foods Organic Bone Broth has a lot more protein (approx. 9 grams of protein, 35-40 calories per 1 cup container) and frankly more flavor than plain chicken broth. They operate on our guts not our taste buds so something that tastes great is a bonus. I bought all the flavors: Turkey with Rosemary, Sage & Thyme, Chicken with Ginger, Chicken with Lemongrass and Original Chicken and have been sampling this week. I also love the packaging because you really don't want a whole lot at a time in those first few days post surgery and I love the twist cap closure. You can pour out a little in a microwave safe cup, warm and save the rest for later.

Good for post weight loss surgery traveling (road trips especially) as they are shelf-stable.

All you have to do is add milk or water and any other add-ins protein powder, sweeteners, cottage cheese or yogurt, etc. There are currently 2 medleys to choose from organic kale, blueberries, and strawberries or mango, peach, and carrot. There is enough fruits and veggies in the bag for several smoothies. They say the 8 oz. package will make 2 but I think it's more like 4-5. I barely put a dent in the bag for this one...

I just took a few of pieces of the Kale Berry Mix, some ice, a cup of milk, a scoop of Vanilla Protein Powder, a Tablespoon of Sugar Free Torani Vanilla Syrup and blended it. Yum. It's great to not have to clean kale (a very sandy veggie) and fresh strawberries have not been the greatest lately, frozen are usually picked at the ripest. I'll get them again.

Follow me on Twitter @Eggface for more articles of interest in health, weight, nutrition, emotional health and body image realm and of course some yummy food tweets as well.

4. The discounted room block for #YWM2015 The Your Weight Matters National Convention opens on January 20th. Sign-up for e-alerts www.ywmconvention.com to get all the 411 in your inbox as it is released in the next few months: hotel info, registration information, speaker announcements, scholarship info (YES! the OAC has committed to fund the scholarship program again this year) I am proudly serving as the Convention Chair so I hope to meet many of you in person.

The hotel is lovely, right on the Riverwalk and a short walk to The Alamo. The Obesity Action Coalition annual Strategic Planning Meeting to set the goals and programs for the year was held there this past weekend and I was able to tour the site. You are going to love it.

and I made it over to The Alamo...

I think my attire will be slightly different in August at convention. I'll leave the scarf at home.

5. Heads up: January is such a dull month. We need a little fun! Check back on Sunday when another Eggface Giveaway will begin.

Monday, January 5, 2015

A day in my pouch is a series of blog posts to show what a typical daily menu looks like in my post weight loss surgery world. Here's what I ate yesterday...

Breakfast: Made a scrambled egg with salsa and a little sliced avocado.

More on my Weight Loss Surgery Breakfast Ideas Pinterest PageLunch: I bought a gorgeous cauliflower at the Farmer's Market on Saturday. I felt so bad for the farmer's in our area, that pretty snowfall the other day and several frosty nights destroyed some crops (Fuerte avocados and citrus especially.) 2014 was such a tough year with the drought and weeks of triple digit temperature. I respect those that continue to tough it out and grow our food.

Well that gorgeous cauliflower was turned into one of my favorite dinners the other night and the leftovers were lunch today (they heat up great!) If you are craving Italian food but don't want all the white carbs of pasta, make this. I had some mushrooms to use so I added those this time and I usually put fresh basil in but it froze in the snow so I added chopped green onion instead. It's a flexible recipe if you had a 1/4 of peas leftover you could add those. You could top with feta instead of mozzarella for a Greek spin.

Break up cauliflower florets (my cauliflower was medium to large but like I mentioned the recipe is forgiving and slight size variations and small additions won't matter) and cook in salted water till fork tender. Drain. Mash. Saute onions and mushrooms till golden. Mix remaining ingredients together (hold back 1 Tablespoon of the Parmesan.) Pour into a 8 x 11.5 x 2 (2 qt) Pyrex casserole dish that has been sprayed with Pam non-stick cooking spray. Top with remaining cheese.

Bake at 350 for 40 minutes and place under the broiler for 5 more minutes to brown. When done I cut the pie into squares (I get 8-10 squares from the pie.) You can eat it as is but I top each square with a Tablespoon of Marinara Sauce and cheese and it goes back under the broiler for a few minutes until the cheese is golden and bubbly. Mmmm.

Pre-op I used to hit a Philly Cheesesteak joint after work sometimes. If you know Philly you will totally understand this order... I'd order the special... a footlong amorosa roll, whiz wit cheesesteak (whiz wit = globs of cheese whiz), it came with a ton of fries (I had them add cheese and grilled onions) and a can of Frank's Black Cherry Wishniak soda (and I'd drink something else at home.) Oh and a Tastycake or 2 for dessert. I was partial to the coffee cake ones and both would be eaten at some point in the night. This wasn't an all the time thing. I loved to cook pre-op so fast food wasn't really my thing but it happened often enough to do some damage for sure. Life now: this dinner gave me the great taste I love but in a sensible way. Bottom line: I can live like this forever. Dr. Yoni Freedhoff spoke at an event I attended and he said something that really resonated with me...

"Your best weight is whatever weight you reach when you're living the healthiest life you honestly enjoy." ~Dr. Yoni Freedhoff.

We can all suffer through something for a time but generally that results in the pendulum swinging the other way just as far. We are in this forever and forever is a long time to suffer. You have to love the post weight loss surgery life you create for yourself. If you don't... change something.

Whisk till well combined. Fill whipping cream to the fill line of the whipper. Screw on the top. Insert the CO2 cartridge till it empties, unscrew that. Put the nozzle on, shake a few times and squirt away. It makes a ton, store it in the fridge for up to 10 days just give it another few shakes before squirting. Great on berries, shakes and smoothies, crepes.

I remember making them every year. The commercials and ads in January for the latest and greatest method, book, potion, 6 disc DVD set, piece of equipment or gadget, would start and I would usually get sucked into 5 easy payments of something. If your resolutions were about your health and weight. Here's my PSA Public Service Announcement with some resources to hopefully help you avoid the scams and aim those wanting to get healthier in the right direction...

Remember that "dietary supplements" are not regulated by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) so not only may they not live up to their claims and be a waste of your hard earned money some can and have caused serious harm. Beware of products claiming miracle weight loss, losing weight without healthy eating and regular exercise, statements like "you can eat all you want and still lose weight" or "lose weight forever." If it sounds to good to be true, it probably is. Don't be sucked in by dramatic before and after pictures, unscrupulous companies often scan the internet for before and after pictures. I have had friends have their picture used, unbeknownst to them, to advertise a weight loss method they did not utilize.

We are all unique. Our individual health concerns, health history, lifestyles must be taking in account when choosing a weight loss method. Team up with your health care provider to design a program suited to YOU and...

Know that the first weight loss method selected may not be the one for you. This does not make you a failure. Obesity is being more and more looked at as a chronic disease that requires lifelong treatment, there is no finish-line and no one-size-fits-all weight loss method or tool that works for everyone... for many of us it is combined therapies that are needed.

The National Your Weight Matters Convention for evidence based education, resources, support, friend making. Sign up for e-alerts to get all the 411 when registration opens and speakers are announced. I'll be there :)

Ultimately remember: we are not defined by a clothing size or number on a scale and those things provide no indication of an individual’s character, credentials, talents, leadership or contributions to society.

ShirleyShirley.snover@xxxxx.comCongratulations Shirley! You are the winner of the latest Eggface Giveaway! You win the Purple Nike Workout Bag filled with some of my favorite protein shakes, vitamins, products and more. You have mail!

Want to learn more about any of the contents of the giveaway above. Click here for more info and sources.

Not a winner this time... no worries another Eggface Giveaway is starting very soon! January is kind of a blah month we'll need to have some fun. Follow along on the Blog, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and now Instagram for the latest eggciting announcements!

Friday, January 2, 2015

Hope everyone is having a nice beginning to 2015. We rang in the new year with some tidbits and watched Ryan Seacrest. I always watch a little When Harry Met Sally. That's a tradition. Speaking of tradition... this was the best year ever for the annual New Year raisin toss. 11 out of 12 and technically the missed one made mouth contact, bounced off my front tooth and onto the floor but contact that has got to be worth something.

For those of you that don't know what the heck I'm talking about... every year it's my New Year's Eve tradition to toss 12 raisins. You toss the raisins one at a time at the stroke of midnight toward your wide open mouth. For every raisin that you get in your mouth that will be one month of good luck in the coming year. I've been doing this now for a few years. The first year raisin #1 SCORE right in the mouth, the second raisin BAM right in the eye. That was an interesting year. Last year I got in 8 out of 12. I blame those misses on unusually large and misshapen raisins, a lack of quality control in the raisin factory. This year, I went with Sun Maid California raisins, no skimping on quality and it worked out. So I'm calling it 11.25 out of 12. According to the raisin oracle it will be a great year!

The food: I made savory mini ricotta pancakes and topped them with smoked salmon (lox) and a dollop of dill Greek yogurt. Delicious and packed with protein. They were sort of like those fancy pants passed hors d'oeuvre blinis. Not a smoked salmon fan? You could top them with my bruschetta topping, chicken salad, tuna salad, guacamole, cheese, cold cuts.

Mix pancake ingredients together. Spray a non-stick pan with Pam. Spoon dollops of batter about 50 cent piece size for hors d'oeuvres. Makes about 14. You can of course make them larger but I like them about 2 bite size. Cook on low till bubbles appear, flip. Cook till done. I let them cool slightly. They firm up a bit. I topped them with smoked salmon (Lox) and a dollop of dill Greek yogurt sauce and a sprig of fresh dill.

Cook's Note: I used whole milk ricotta if you use part skim. Drain through a sieve lined with a coffee filter or cheese cloth for several hours or overnight in the fridge.

Shelly's Dill Greek Yogurt Sauce

1/2 cup Greek Yogurt, plain
1 teaspoon Dried Dill
a squeeze of Lemon Juice
Salt to taste
a few twists of Black Pepper to tasteMix together. Leftovers can be refrigerated for a day or two.
More weight loss surgery friendly party foods on my Party Food Pinterest Page

Oh get this... it was so cold on December 31st that it snowed! Super rare. I was jazzed. Huge fluffy gorgeous snowflakes falling from the sky. I went outside. I caught them on my tongue. I snapped a zillion blurry pictures, I made a snowman. I know, I know as an ex-NYer I shouldn't be impressed but it was very cool, a fun surprise.

Happy New Year! Wishing everyone good health, lots of laughter, and fun surprises in 2015. May this be our best year ever.

About Me

I had my guts rearranged (aka Weight Loss Surgery, RNY gastric bypass surgery June 2006) This blog is basically me rambling about my world. I also post recipes that I've adapted to make weight loss surgery friendly.
I love to cook.
I have always loved to cook. It's my creative outlet. I was scared that having weight loss surgery would put an end to my days in the kitchen but happily it did not. I actually get to be even more creative by analyzing a favorite recipe and seeing where I can make changes to make a healthier version of a pre-op favorite.